Two weeks later, we’re finally back from our trip abroad! We spent our first week in Denmark before heading to Belgium for week two, and if you were following along on Instagram, you already know we had an incredible time. I’m anxious to share stories and create travel guides for each of the places we visited … after weeding through the 3,000 photos on my camera card!

These photos were taken on one of our first days in Copenhagen, which was one of the only days warm enough to wear a dress to grab coffee in the morning. I snuck in a few more bare-legged outfit photos that you’ll see later, but in true blog fashion, I ducked back inside to throw on tights or change into jeans. I packed terribly. With temperatures in the upper 50s, I thought I’d be fine with dresses since that’s what I wear in Wisconsin at that temperature. Trust me when I say that 50 degrees in Scandinavia feels much colder with the breeze and overcast sky. I ended up rotating between three sweaters and one long-sleeve top with jeans and sneakers almost exclusively. (This was kind of my personal hell. I don’t like denim.) Aside from that — and it’s such a minor thing to complain about — the trip was amazing. Now let’s just hope I can make it through my first day back at work without nodding off thanks to jet lag!

In unrelated news, I came across my beloved Karen Walker Number One sunglasses for 25% off! In fact, all of the designer’s shades are available at a discount on Nordstrom for a limited time.

A few weeks ago, I added Lele Sadoughi’s gorgeous Maraca necklace to my jewelry collection (it’s still available here), so you can imagine how thrilled I was when the designer sent over the Crystal Lily earrings I had on my wish list since their debut. The earrings are absolutely stunning, as you’ll see in the photos here and in a future outfit post, and I was curious to learn more about them. Below, you’ll find insight into Lele’s design process and the inspiration behind the luxe Peking Opera collection.

But first, here’s a bit more about Lele Sadoughi from the designer herself:

“Launching the jewelry at J Crew and directing a team at Tory Burch were both amazing experiences. I was fortunate to work for companies that liked my aesthetic and welcomed some risks that I took. I think the reason that J Crew jewelry has been such a success is because what I like and what J Crew represents was a good combination. With my line, I am able to design for the girl that wants to stand out and is not afraid to wear something that might elicit a conversation. Working for large brands, you always begin with the fabrics and prints because the mills have the longest lead time. Therefore, I started with colors, textures, and prints. I like to think I learned about the big picture; about a feeling and a mood. Once you research a world with a specific mood, time, and place, the pieces are easier to design. I love to have a theme and story for each season. Now, I am able to create my own storyboards and really initiate the concept for each season.

“My family just moved into a 6 story townhouse in West Chelsea and we moved our offices to the top floor. It is very sun filled and calm, and just high enough to be separated from the kids downstairs. With a 1 year old and 3 year old at home, I am so fortunate to get work done and run downstairs to have lunch with my kids. I can schedule meetings with an hour break in between to make time to run out to the park. My days are very different. Sometimes I take my son to school and start work around noon. Other days, I start with a meeting or press appointment and do not make it downstairs until the afternoon.”

Lele was also very kind to extend a 20% discount to Bedknobs & Baubles readers. Head to Lele Sadoughi’s website and use code BEDKNOBSANDBAUBLES to take 20% off of everything — including sale items! Then come back and let me know what you bought!

Psst…if you love the Lily earrings as much as I do, snag them for nearly half off at Bloomingdale’s right now. They’re on sale and you’ll save an extra 25% with code FRIENDS through April 10. (Thanks to Jenn for the hot tip during our conversation on this post yesterday!)

When I received a sale alert yesterday from Lele Sadoughi, I couldn’t help but to purchase the Maraca pendant I’ve had my eye on for a year! (It’s the first piece in the upper, left corner of this collage.) There are over 100 gorgeous gems on sale and many come in at $150 or less, including everything here. You can also receive an additional 15% off (code: LSD15) by signing up for the mailing list! I’m having a bear of a time getting the link to the sale page to work in this post, so just click here to be taken to the retail page and then click the sale tab on top. I can’t wait to see what you pick!